Championship Grand Final Preview: Leigh v Featherstone
Leigh Centurions coach Paul Rowley insists his side will not take anything for granted as they seek a first Grand Final win in 10 years.
Centurions, who last won a Grand Final when they beat Whitehaven in 2004, finished 15 points ahead of Featherstone Rovers in the Kingstone Press Championship table.
But Rowley said: “Featherstone have been the team to beat for nearly half a decade, and if you look at their personnel on paper they’ve got an embarrassment of riches.
“We’d never dare to underestimate them, not a chance. They’re a very, very good team.”
Leigh expected to name a similar side to the one that beat Dewsbury Rams 33-22 last week, while Andy Hay could have Greg Worthington available after a recent calf injury.
Hay said: “We’ve had a good year, but we’d like to finish off well and go out on a high.
“We’ve a good chance of having a go at Leigh, and probably putting a better performance in this time than the last time we played them.”
Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship Grand Final sees the clubs with most appearances in the title decider go head-to-head.
FEATHERSTONE ROVERS (1998, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) and LEIGH CENTURIONS (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2014) both make their fifth appearance in a summer era Grand Final.
The winner of Sunday’s game will join Salford (2003, 2008), Castleford (2005, 2007) and Sheffield (2012, 2013) as clubs to have won two Grand Finals. Featherstone’s previous win came against Sheffield in 2011, whilst Leigh defeated Whitehaven after extra time in 2004.
Featherstone’s ANDY HAY and Leigh’s PAUL ROWLEY will both make their Grand Final coaching debuts on Sunday. Rowley played for the Centurions in their title-deciding victory over Whitehaven in 2004, as well as the club’s defeat to Huddersfield in 2002.
Leigh’s BOB BESWICK aims to make his fifth appearance in a Grand Final on Sunday. He has previously played in two deciders each for Halifax (2009, 2010) and Widnes (2006, 2007).
OLIVER WILKES is the only player in the Leigh squad who has previously played for the Centurions in a Grand Final, having started at second row in the 32-16 win against Whitehaven in 2004.
Featherstone’s ANDY KAIN aims to make his fifth Grand Final appearance for Rovers on Sunday. Kain played in Championship showpiece events in 2010, 2011 and 2012 – as well as the National League Two Grand Final in 2007.
MATTY DALE, IAN HARDMAN and TIM SPEARS played in all three of Featherstone’s consecutive Championship Grand Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Previous Division One (1998)/Northern Ford Premiership (1999-2002)/National League One (2003-2008*)/The Co-operative Championship (2009-2012)/Kingstone Press Championship (2013) Grand Finals:
2013 (29/9/13) Batley 12, Sheffield 19
(at Leigh Sports Village)
2012 (30/9/12) Featherstone 16, Sheffield 20
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2011 (2/10/11) Featherstone 40, Sheffield 4
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2010 (26/9/10) Featherstone 22, Halifax 23 (after golden point extra time)
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2009 (4/10/09) Barrow 26, Halifax 18
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2008 (28/9/08) Celtic Crusaders 18, Salford 36 (after extra time)
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2007 (7/10/07) Castleford 42, Widnes 10
(at Headingley Carnegie, Leeds)
2006 (8/10/06) Hull KR 29, Widnes 16
(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)
2005 (9/10/05) Castleford 36, Whitehaven 8
(at Halton Stadium, Widnes)
2004 (10/10/04) Leigh 32, Whitehaven 16 (after extra time)
(at Halton Stadium, Widnes)
2003 (5/10/03) Leigh 14, Salford 31
(at Halton Stadium, Widnes)
2002 (12/10/02) Huddersfield 38, Leigh 16
(at Halton Stadium, Widnes)
2001 (28/7/01) Oldham 14, Widnes 24
(at Spotland, Rochdale)
2000 (29/7/00) Dewsbury 13, Leigh 12
(at Gigg Lane, Bury)
1999 (25/9/99) Dewsbury 11, Hunslet 12
(at Headingley, Leeds)
1998 (26/9/98) Featherstone 22, Wakefield 24
(at McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield)
* sponsored by LHF Healthplan (2004-2006) and The Co-operative (2007-2008)
Last ten meetings:
Leigh 48, Featherstone 18 (ChR23, 8/8/14)
Featherstone 10, Leigh 29 (ChR9, 4/5/14)
Leigh 26, Featherstone 16 (CCR5, 27/4/14)
Featherstone 40, Leigh 26 (ChQPO, 8/9/13)
Leigh 8, Featherstone 23 (ChR15, 1/6/13)
Featherstone 12, Leigh 22 (NRCQFQ, 19/5/13)
Featherstone 38, Leigh 6 (ChR1, 3/2/13)
Featherstone 32, Leigh 14 (ChQSF, 13/9/12)
Featherstone 54, Leigh 16 (NRCSF, 5/7/12)
Leigh 16, Featherstone 22 (ChR11, 22/6/12)
Previous play-off meetings:
Featherstone 40, Leigh 26 (ChQPO, 8/9/13)
Featherstone 32, Leigh 14 (ChQSF, 13/9/12)
Featherstone 35, Leigh 20 (ChQSF, 15/9/11)
Leigh 26, Featherstone 10 (NFPMiSF, 15/7/01)
Leigh 4, Featherstone 17 (NFPEPO, 5/9/99)
Featherstone Rovers – Grand Final appearances
Andrew Bostock
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2010 Lost (Featherstone v Halifax, 23-22)
Andy Ellis
2009 Won (Barrow v Halifax, 26-18)
2013 Lost (Batley v Sheffield, 19-12)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2010 Lost (Featherstone v Halifax, 23-22)
2013 Lost (Batley v Sheffield, 19-12)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2010 Lost (Featherstone v Halifax, 23-22)
(NL2GF: 2007 Won (Featherstone v Oldham, 24-6)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2013 Lost (Batley v Sheffield, 19-12)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2010 Lost (Featherstone v Halifax, 23-22)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
2010 Lost (Featherstone v Halifax, 23-22)
2012 Lost (Featherstone v Sheffield, 20-16)
2011 Won (Featherstone v Sheffield, 40-4)
Featherstone have used 38 players in this season’s Kingstone Press Championship campaign – with Will Sharp being an ever-present in all 28 of Rovers’ regular season and play-off games.
Leigh Centurions – Grand Final appearances
2013 Won (Sheffield v Batley, 19-12)
2010 Won (Halifax v Featherstone, 23-22)
2010 Won (Halifax v Featherstone, 23-22)
2009 Lost (Halifax v Barrow, 26-18)
2007 Lost (Widnes v Castleford, 42-10)
2006 Lost (Widnes v Hull KR, 29-16)
(Ch1GF: 2009 Lost (Oldham v Keighley, 28-26)
(NL2GF: 2008 Lost (Oldham v Doncaster, 18-10)
(Ch1GF: 2010 Lost (Oldham v York, 25-4)
2010 Won (Halifax v Featherstone, 23-22)
2009 Lost (Halifax v Barrow, 26-18)
2005 Won (Castleford v Whitehaven, 36-8)
2007 Lost (Widnes v Castleford, 42-10)
2006 Lost (Widnes v Hull KR, 29-16)
2004 Won (Leigh v Whitehaven, 32-16)
(NL2GF: 2003 Won (Keighley v Sheffield, 13-11)
Leigh have used 30 players in this season’s Kingstone Press Championship campaign – with Bob Beswick, Ryan Brierley and Jake Emmitt being ever-presents in all 28 of the Centurions’ regular season and play-off games.
DIVISION ONE/NORTHERN FORD PREMIERSHIP/NATIONAL LEAGUE ONE/THE CO-OPERATIVE CHAMPIONSHIP/KINGSTONE PRESS CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL RECORDS
Most Grand Finals
5 Featherstone (1998(L), 2010(L), 2011(W), 2012(L), 2014)
5 Leigh (2000(L), 2002(L), 2003(L), 2004(W), 2014)
Most Grand Final wins
2 Salford (2003, 2008)
2 Castleford (2005, 2007)
2 Sheffield (2012, 2013)
Highest score
Castleford 42 Widnes 10 (2007)
Widest margin
Featherstone 40 Sheffield 4 (2011)
Most tries by a team
7 Castleford (v Widnes, 42-10, 2007)
7 Featherstone (v Sheffield, 40-4, 2011)
Most points by a losing team
Featherstone 22 Wakefield 24 (1998)
Featherstone 22 Halifax 23 (2010)
Biggest attendance
20,814 Castleford v Widnes (2007)
Most tries by a player
2 Josh Bostock (Wakefield v Featherstone, 1998)
2 Mick Higham (Leigh v Dewsbury, 2000)
2 Jason Demetriou (Widnes v Oldham, 2001)
2 Hefin O’Hare (Huddersfield v Leigh, 2002)
2 Marcus St Hilaire (Huddersfield v Leigh, 2002)
2 Alan Hunte (Salford v Leigh, 2003)
2 Wesley Wilson (Whitehaven v Leigh, 2004)
2 Ben Cooper (Leigh v Whitehaven, 2004)
2 Brad Davis (Castleford v Whitehaven, 2005)
2 Jon Goddard (Hull KR v Widnes, 2006)
2 Awen Guttenbeil (Castleford v Widnes, 2007)
2 Paul White (Salford v Celtic Crusaders, 2008)
2 Andreas Bauer (Barrow v Halifax, 2009)
2 Zak Hardaker (Featherstone v Halifax, 2010)
2 Liam Finn (Featherstone v Sheffield, 2011)
2 Scott Turner (Sheffield v Batley, 2013)
Most goals by a player
7 Steve McNamara (Huddersfield v Leigh, 2002)
Most points by a player
20 (2 tries, 6 goals) Liam Finn (Featherstone v Sheffield, 2011)
DISMISSALS
No player has been sent off in a previous Grand Final.
The following players have been sin-binned in previous Grand Finals:
Shayne Williams (Dewsbury v Leigh, 2000) – leading with the elbow
Dave Whittle (Leigh v Dewsbury, 2000) – retaliation
Rob Roberts (Huddersfield v Leigh, 2002) – fighting
Dave Whittle (Leigh v Huddersfield, 2002) – fighting
Adam Bristow (Leigh v Huddersfield, 2002) – interference
Leroy Joe (Whitehaven v Castleford, 2005) – late tackle
Kirk Netherton (Featherstone v Sheffield, 2011) – fighting
Joe Hirst (Sheffield v Featherstone, 2011) – fighting